Andark Lake

View prices & book 8.7 325 reviews
Lakeside pitches
Lakeside pitches
Swimming and diving on site
The grass pitch
Entrance to site
Grass pitches
Lake-view pitches
Andark lake
Gardens around the lake
1/238
Swimming and diving on site
The grass pitch
Entrance to site

  • Peaceful site near the River Hamble: two pubs within walking distance
  • Six miles from Southampton and 12 from Portsmouth's ferry terminal
  • Set in scuba diving and open-water swimming lake grounds
Get set to get wet… with the Solent coast a couple of miles away, the Hamble river down the road and of course the lake on site, it’s safe to say that life pretty much revolves around the water at Andark Lake, a small and quiet grassy site six miles from the centre of Southampton. The main focal point here is the purpose-built scuba diving training lake, where wetsuit-clad types can sign up for training courses (when pre-booked) or recreational dives, hire kit and fill air tanks (for certified scuba divers). Open-water swims can be had for an extra charge at the weekends, when staff are on site and the place isn't in use by divers. Outside of swim time, there’s more water-based activity (sailing, paddleboarding, kitesurfing and windsurfing) along the riverside or at Swanwick Marina. Should all this aquatic activity have worked up a bit of a hunger, trot over to the site café for snacks and light lunches, plus hot and cold drinks throughout the day. For your evening meals, three pubs are within walking distance, or you can pick up supermarket supplies two miles away for a sunset sausage sizzle. Other amenities on site include a drinking water tap and a toilet block with male and female changing rooms, lockers and showers, all open 24/7. A coldwater sink is available in the pitching field where guests can wash pots and pans, and an accessible toilet is available on request.

Campground type

RV & Motorhome sites 7
Tent sites 10
Open now
Opens 3 January
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • Group bookings of 3 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 3 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The campground/park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • Reception is unmanned after 5 p.m.. Please inform the campground while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the campground/park are unlit.
  • Lake open-water swimming is not included in the rate and is charged at £7 per person for a day ticket . Swimming is only available Wednesday to Sunday. No swimming while divers are in the lake. The lake must not be used after hours or when no staff are on site, as it's a deep diving training lake and can be dangerous. Dogs are not allowed in the lake at any time.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 3 Jan to

Site types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesRV & Motorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other options

Reviews

8.7

Overall rating from 325 Pitchup.com customers

  • 61%
    10
  • 1%
    9
  • 18%
    8
  • 1%
    7
  • 9%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 1%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 4%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 8
Peaceful

87% would recommend this campground to a friend

84% would stay here again

What customers say

Great spot by the lake, super peaceful and good for a swim. Friendly staff and clean facilities. A bit of road noise and a trek to shops, but good for a chill break.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 33
Arrival date (latest first)

An amazing camp site.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Benjamin M.

Powered grass tent site

Liked We were travelling with our 13 month old child. We were given a pitch out the way so it was nice and quiet. The site is in a lovely location!

Disliked Nothing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice location but inadequate facilities for the campers.

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 6
Karen H.

Powered grass and gravel motorhome site

Liked Lovely location with views over the lake, very nice coffee shop and the small team tried their best with our plot size.
Transport good and local bars/restaurants good although a bit pricey for the area.

Disliked The facilities were shared by all swimmers of the lake so the changing room was always packed with just 2 showers & 2 toilets resulting in cold showers and very dirty wet floors that were not cleaned during our 5 day stay.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clean facilities, quiet and tranquil

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 4
katy b.

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked Quiet site, loads of room, it's our second stay and we'd definitely go back

Disliked Would appreciate a discount on swimming and other activities if staying on site! Some pitches are not anywhere near level - we were in 7/8/9 which are all fine.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent facilities, plenty of space, safe for kids to play

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked The secure nature of the site, the peace and quiet, the ease of checking in

Disliked That a swim in the lake is still charged, would be nice to have the option to use it within the pitch fee

Recommend to friends Visit again

An excellent site, with great facilities and friendly staff.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Matt L.

Powered grass and gravel motorhome site

Liked The site was amazing. Great views over the lake. Really nice and friendly staff. Very handy shop and cafe. The WiFi reached us in our campervan. Nice clean toilets and showers. Very reasonably priced holiday and we’ve already booked again!

Disliked Nothing to dislike.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We booked for 3 nights and left after the first.

Overall

4 out of 10
Location
 3
Value for money
 2
Accommodation
 1
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 1
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 8
Anonymous

Powered grass and gravel campervan site

Liked Excellent cafe on site with huge portions, I don’t manage even a 1/4 of the portion of beans on toast

Disliked The site is really not set up for motorhome. We were on the largest pitch #6 and it was just not suitable.
Electric is a daisy chain of extension cables. The water station had to be driven to and it was nearly impossible to do a 3 point turn in.
Cold showers

Definable not worth the £35 per night, considering we stayed at a CAMH site and this was only £35 per night

Recommend to friends Visit again

The staff were the best part, really helpful and friendly, just lovely.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
jenny d.

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked The staff were the best part, really helpful and friendly, just lovely.

Being able to swim in the lake, INCREDIBLE! Great fun following the ducks!

Dragonflies and Damselflies around the lake, beautiful.

The food at the cafe, yummy!

Coffee was great too.

Thank you so much for our stay! (and for jump starting our car!)

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fab stay. Peaceful and beautiful lake.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 4
Joey B.

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked The beautiful lake. It’s a peaceful place with lovely views of the lake. Staff are very nice and helpful. Lovely seating area round the lake and a good cafe. I enjoyed chilling here during the day. The lake offers activities such as swimming and even a scuba diving with hidden things under the water. Only space for a few tents in the field which is nice, not too many people there adding to the peacefulness. Good wash facilities. An outdoor sink to wash bits up. I had a great stay here. Also easy to book on Pitchup. The lake will send you details about your arrival the day before. WiFi was good at the lake itself, don’t except it to work at the campsite. It wasn’t needed tho honestly. Parking next to your tent.

Disliked If you’re not careful, the swimmers etc use the showers a lot during the day, if you left a shower too late in the day, there was no hot water left. Luckily it was hot day so a cold shower wasn’t the end of the world haha

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site, great location

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 10
Ben D.

Powered grass and gravel campervan site

Liked Location, peaceful site, helpful staff, lovely experience all round - will be back

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely lake and great breakfast.…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 7
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked Lovely lake and great breakfast.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site cafe On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby

Type

Small (11-25 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycling nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Andark Lake

Oslands Lane

Lower Swanwick

Southampton

Hampshire

England

SO31 7EG

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.88013°N
1.29099°W

Route directions

The site is at the top of Oslands Lane, an unmade track. The access road is opposite the Old Ship pub (Bridge Road). The road runs between Andark Shop and the Carsa Car dealership.

Nearest transport

Coach
8.2 km Telephone House
8.2 km Telephone House
8.2 km Terminal 1
Rail
1.1 km Bursledon Rail Station
1.8 km Swanwick Rail Station
2.9 km Hamble Rail Station
Ferry
2.9 km Hamble-le-Rice Ferry Landing
3 km Warsash Ferry Landing
7.7 km Hythe (Hants) Ferry Terminal
Airport
9.2 km Southampton Airport
39.8 km Bournemouth International Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Wetsuits at the ready – if you’re into your watersports you’ll have plenty to pick from around here. Swanwick Marina is 10 minutes’ walk away for sailing training, and there’s paddleboarding, windsurfing and kayaking on the Hamble 15 minutes’ drive away. Kitesurf kit hire and lessons are 40 minutes away on the other side of the river. Take a break from the big blue for a wander around Holly Hill Woodland Park, five minutes away by car, or a sea-view stroll through Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, 20 minutes away. SeaCity Museum, Solent Sky Museum and the Tudor House and Garden in Southampton are worth a visit too, and there are shops, restaurants and a cinema at the city’s West Quay. Cross the River Hamble to hit the New Forest National Park, 25 minutes’ drive away, for a walk, bike ride or horse ride or a trip to meet the furry and feathered residents of the New Forest Wildlife Park. It’s also worth trundling along to the classic car collection at Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum (35 minutes away).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Calshot 8.1 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Hillhead 8.7 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Lee-On-Solent 10.7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Lepe 11.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Cowes 12.5 km Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Southampton Maritime Museum 8.2 km

Beaulieu National Motor Museum 13.1 km

Portchester Castle 13.3 km

Osborne House 14.3 km

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 15.7 km

National Trust

Newtown Old Town Hall 20.1 km

Winchester City Mill 20.1 km

Hinton Ampner 20.6 km

Mottisfont 24.8 km

Bembridge Windmill 25.6 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Grace Dieu 1.4 km

ROYAL VICTORIA COUNTRY PARK, FORMERLY ROYAL VICTORIA MILITARY HOSPITAL 3.6 km

TOWNHILL PARK 7.6 km

CENTRAL PARKS, SOUTHAMPTON 8.2 km

SOUTHAMPTON CEMETERY 9.6 km

Local events

  • CarFest (Friday 22 August 2025 – Friday 22 August 2025)

    Basingstoke, England 37.7 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Hampshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Andark Lake have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Andark Lake dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Andark Lake? Wetsuits at the ready – if you’re into your watersports you’ll have plenty to pick from around here. Swanwick Marina is 10 minutes’ walk away for sailing training, and there’s paddleboarding, windsurfing … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Andark Lake?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Andark Lake? From $41 (for 1 night, 5 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.